I’m surprised at Padma discrimination: Bindra

Abhinav,who fetched the first-ever individual Olympic gold medal in 108 years of India’s Olympic history,has been given Padma Bhushan for his historic feat in the men’s 10 metre air rifle shooting event at the Beijing Games.

“Boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar,who won bronze medals in the Beijing Games,were completely ignored. You expect sportspersons to bring glory to the country but you don’t encourage them. It downgrades the position of the sportspersons. What more can the two poor chaps do to get the award?” he wondered.

“We are hosting Commonwealth Games in 2010 and we also eye the Olympic Games after that and we are trying hard to become a sporting nation but I am sorry to say it won’t serve our purpose,” he added.

Indian Amateur Boxing Federation General Secretary Colonel Muralidharan Raja also felt strongly about the issue as he described Vijender missing out on the honour as “unfortunate”.

“It’s really very unfortunate. In the 104 years of Indian boxing in Olympics,there is not a single medal to our credit. But Vijender did it and he also defeated the best boxers of the previous Olympics en route his bronze medal. It’s no mean feat,” Col Raja said.

“When all the previous Olympic medal winners like Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore have been given Padma award,why should he be left out,” he said.

Wrestling national coach PR Sondhi echoed similar sentiments. “I think it was injustice on the government’s part to neglect Sushil and Vijender for the Padma awards. They deserved the awards more than the cricketers.

“Sushil and Vijender won Olympic medals in disciplines which are being played by over 150 countries while cricket is only played by a handful of nations,” said Sondhi.

Vijender and Sushil Kumar have already expressed their disappointment at being overlooked for the Padma awards.

Abhinav surprised at Padma discrimination

India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra on Tuesday expressed surprise at Beijing Games bronze medal winners Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar being left out of the list of Padma awardees.

“I am really surprised,” Abhinav said.

“Initially,they were recognised by the government. I have no idea what the criteria are (for the Padma awards) but we as a nation need to support our Olympic athletes whether in victory or defeat because they will only bring us the global recognition in the field of sports,” he said.

“We need to encourage our Olympic athletes,” he added. Abhinav,who fetched the first-ever individual Olympic gold medal in 108 years of India’s Olympic history,has been was honoured with Padma Bhushan for his historic feat in the men’s 10 metre air rifle shooting event at the Beijing Games.

But boxer Vijender and wrestler Sushil were ignored as five sportspersons,including cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh,were in the list of 93 eminent Padma awardees.

In Beijing,Indian contingent for the first time won three Olympic medals. Vijender won the first ever boxing medal for the country while Sushil was only the second Indian grappler after Kasaba Jadhav (bronze in Helsinki Olympics) to fetch a medal in wrestling.